Trickster's Requiem
by OutOfDate
Summary: Xellos seeks to win the heart of his love, only to be met by fate. [SongFic XF]


**    Author's Notes**: This is my first songfic while I take a break from Lost but Not Forgotten (My Noir Fic) and Things Change, another one of my Slayers fics. I'm not really sure how a songfic works, but dammit, I'm gonna try. XD This fic is to _Tell Laura I Love Her _by Ricky Nelson, a song I highly recommend if you feel like crying.

**    Disclaime**r: I don't own the Slayers or the song, I'm just manipulating them for pleasure, much like cream cheese. . . . what?

* * *

**Trickster's Requiem   
**-Set to _Tell Laura I Love Her_ by Ricky Nelson-

* * *

_Laura and Tommy were lovers   
__He wanted to give her everything   
__Flowers, presents,   
__But most of all a wedding ring._

    "Am I to understand," Zelas took another long drag off of her cigarette, eying her servant carefully as he stood beside her at the window overlooking the nearby sea, "That you mean to marry the girl?"

    Xellos sighed, "If she will have me, though I doubt that will be very likely. I merely ask your permission, Mistress," he bowed once again, for what seemed like the gazillionth (It's a number! . . . what?) time that morning, praying that, at the very least, he was not killed for his request.

    The Beast King grinned sardonically, "Somehow I don't think she's really your type," she looked once again into his eyes as Xellos lifted his head. Seeing the sincerity and honesty in his eyes, eyes reserved only for her, she smiled warmly, nodding slightly, "If that is what you wish, my son."

    Breathing a heavy sigh of relief he thanked his master gracefully. After being assured that she was only permitting this union so that she could have a more powerful servant when a child became of it Xellos left quickly, retreating to his room on the island to ponder the possibilities.

    As he mulled for hours on end over the challenging courtship that now faced him he was faced with quite the predicament. How to get someone who hates everything about you to fall in love with you.

_He saw a sign for a stock car race   
__A thousand dollar prize it read_

    "Of course!" Xellos jolted upright from his rest, "That's perfect!" Of course, everyone knew that those good guys valued chivalry, and what better way to prove that you're chivalrous than to win one of those tournaments they have in Seyrune? Excellent, she'd have to see him in at least a slightly better light after he trounced those wusses.

* * *

_He couldn't get Laura on the phone   
__So to her mother, Tommy said_

_Tell Laura I love her   
__Tell Laura I need her   
__Tell Laura I may be late   
__I've something to do that cannot wait_

    "What are you doing? HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU TO LEAVE HER ALONE?!" Lina Inverse 'insisted' loudly, noticing Xellos prowling around Filia's door at the inn the party had stayed at.

    "L-Lina, you don't understand," Xellos insisted nervously, attempting to pry himself out of the fiery sorceress' headlock, "I just need to talk to her for just a second!"

    "Listen, freak, we've almost made it all the way back to Seyrune without you ruining something for us, I won't let you stand in the way of this," she continued forcibly, "Got that?"

    "Y-yes," Xellos insisted, more than a bit perturbed as he was released from her death grip. Realizing the time he threw a final glance at the door behind which his love slept, then turned to Lina, "Will you just . . . will you just give her this?"

    "What is it?" Lina crinkled her nose at the large envelope the priest dropped into her hands with her friend's name scrawled across it in neat, elegant script, "I swear if this is some sort of curse . . ."

    "Now, Lina, you know that's a secret," Xellos grinned, shaking his finger a bit, "Be assured it's not harmful, however. Please give it to her," and with that the trickster vanished, leaving a confused Lina playing messenger for him.

* * *

_He drove his car to the racing grounds   
__He was the youngest driver there   
__The crowed roared as they started the race   
__Around the track they drove at a deadly pace_

    The Beast Priest glanced around nonchalantly as the competitors stood in the waiting area as the pairings were decided. This was going to be a cinch. Most of the competitors were mere humans, though most possessed some minor magical skill. None of them would have held a candle to Lina. There was a small assortment of lower-level monsters and demons, a few servants to the Gods, nothing on par with him, however. His eye fell on a corner nearby where a lanky man was leaning against a wall, his face hidden by a wide-brimmed hat he wore. Not knowing what to make of him, Xellos shrugged him off as another of the human weaklings.

    The pairings were decided quickly and randomly and the tournament began shortly. Xellos watched from the waiting room while several humans beat each other into unconsciousness with mundane weapons and spells, awaiting his first match. As his name was called he stepped out into the stone ring with his opponent, a lower-level demon who paled as he heard Xellos' name.

    The sun shone upon the stadium, packed with most of the city of Seyrune. He could see Prince Phil in a ringside booth watching over his annual tournament. He was glad to see that Lina and the others had all arrived in time to see him fight as they sat alongside Prince Phil in the royal booth. He was glad to see his love sitting right alongside them, looking slightly more shocked to see him than the others, no doubt surprised his letter was truthful. He tapped the head of his staff to his forehead in a mock salute towards them before stepping onto the stone surface of the ring.

    The match began, and ended quite quickly. In an effort to show off his 'chivalrous' side Xellos was sure to let his opponent throw a few spells his direction, though they all missed or were pitifully weak when he did allow them to hit him. Though the desire to kill the measly boy that fought with him was nearly overwhelming Xellos held back, knowing that that's not what the good guys might do. Quick as lightning he was behind his opponent, knocking him squarely over the head with his staff, stealing the consciousness from the weak demon.

    Though Xellos' battles were quick and to the point the tourney stretched into the afternoon, eventually reaching its climax as the sun began to set over the magnificent capital city. Xellos found himself in the final round, as expected, and was paired against the other finalist, the man in the wide-brimmed hat. Xellos had been watching this man's battles with interest. As with his own, the battles in which the mystery man fought were quick and one-sided as he merely stood stone-still, watching his unlucky opponent collapse. Certain there was something dark about his new opponent, Xellos was wary, but confident as he stepped into the ring beside the stranger.

_No one knows what happened that day   
__Or how his car overturned in flames   
__But as they pulled him from the twisted wreck   
__With his dying breath, they heard him say_

_Tell Laura I love her   
__Tell Laura I need her   
__Tell Laura not to cry   
__My love for her will never die_

    It happened so fast that you could have blinked and missed it. Eager to finish his battle with the most formidable foe of the evening, the mysterious man moved quickly, too quickly for the Beast Priest. As the bell rang to signal the start of the match the man shot a burst of white light from the palm of his hand. For a moment it seemed that the two stood, glaring at each other. The audience leaned forward, waiting for the Trickster Priest to make a move to attack the man. Instead he stumbled forward slightly, falling painfully to his knees as pain racked his entire body in both this plane and the astral.

    The unidentified man walked forward to where Xellos was doubled over in pain. Looking into the face of his prey, the man seized Xellos' chin, forcing him to look into his eyes, "I will not allow you to abandon our Lord Shabrinigdo for a frivolous crush," Dynast whispered stonily.

    Xellos groaned, realizing now that these were his last breaths. Grabbing the collar of the being who had finally slain the beast priest, Xellos whispered back, "Tell her –cough- tell her that I love her; that I meant every word," he let out a final breath and fell forward, dead.

    As a cold hush fell over the crowd the shadowy dark lord walked out of the ring, shrugging off his prize money, and promptly disappeared to ready his defenses against Zelas' impending attack when the Beast Master learned of his deeds.

* * *

_Now in the chapel where Laura prays   
__For her poor Tommy, who passed away   
__It was just for Laura he lived and died   
__Alone in the chapel she can hear him cry_

_Tell Laura I love her   
__Tell Laura I need her   
__Tell Laura not to cry   
__My love for her will never die_

    She clutched the tear-soaked, worn old letter in her hand tightly, praying to the Gods for his soul as she did every year on this day. It had been nearly a decade since he had fallen in his attempt to prove his love to her, and her tears still burned her eyes as much as they had that day when she had sat alone in her room, reading his letter full of love confessions and promises. He had promised to prove his love, fight for her, and remain good in every aspect he could imagine. She hadn't believed him. She had been dragged to the tournament by Lina Inverse, and had been so surprised to see he had actually entered. It was not until his final words were delivered to her, however, that she realized the truth in the letter she held.

    He had died for her, to prove a love she hadn't known could even exist. Would she, she wondered, have acknowledged his feeling, and perhaps even reciprocated him, had he been alive that day?

    She smiled slightly, knowing she would. And somewhere in the forgotten realms of time and space, a priest smiled back, watching over his love as he always had and always would.

_Tell Laura I love her   
__Tell Laura I need her   
__Tell Laura not to cry   
__My love for her will never die_

* * *

**    Author's Notes**: Woo-hoo! My first songfic done! First off, let me say, I do not hate Xellos. In fact, he's my second fave character, trailing Zelas by quite a bit. LOL Anyways, review, please, let me know how my first songfic was, and if you have any questions feel free to ask them, I'll be sure to answer.

    Also, I am working on a Slayers fansite which will eventually be located at the link you can find by clicking on the homepage link in my profile and am open for any fanart, fanfics, or anything.


End file.
